Thales, January 14, 2026 - The NATO Helicopter Mgt Agency (NAHEMA) has awarded Thales a contract to develop advanced functions and capabilities for the TopOwl Digital Display (DD helmet), following an order of 31 NH90 helicopters by the Spanish Ministry of Defence.
This contract, secured in collaboration with NHIndustries (NHI) and Safran, underscores a shared commitment to advancing defence innovation in support of the French Direction Générale de l'Armement (DGA) and the Spanish Dirección General de Armements y Material (DGAM).
The TopOwl DD helmet is an evolution of the combat-proven TopOwl legacy, it now enables pilots to operate in all conditions of degraded visibility.
The TopOwl DD headset, developed by Thales, integrates high-definition mission camera video feeds, including Safran’s Eurofl'Eye, with augmented reality and spatial alerts to enhance situational awareness and reduce pilot workload.
The TopOwl offers unmatched capabilities for piloting in low-visibility conditions, ensuring safety and mission success through augmented reality. This is achieved by synthesizing terrain vision with data from mission and flight sensors and cameras as well as light intensifier tubes that will also be improved by as part of this contract. It supports pilots day and night in degraded situations such as dust clouds, fog, snow or extremely dark nights. With the TopOwl DD helmet, NH90 pilots have a better situational awareness and visibility, significantly improving mission safety, especially during very low-altitude or low visibility operations.
Thales brings more than 20 years of expertise in the designing targeting and display systems for helicopters. The TopOwl DD helmet is developed and manufactured at the Thales Campus in Bordeaux in cooperation with BITD stakeholders and refined in partnership with operational forces, ensuring superior vision and safety features. It is tailored to each pilot’s unique physiology, offering a perfect fit and reducing fatigue during extended missions or in challenging environments.
This contract represents a strategic partnership, underscoring the strong collaboration between Thales, the DGA and NAHEMA to provide armed forces with advanced technologies tailored to the complex demands of modern missions.
Florent Chauvancy, Vice President of Flight Avionics at Thales, said "By choosing the TopOwl DD, NAHEMA confirms the leading role of this helmet, recognized by helicopter crews for enhancing operational performance and safety. This contract further strengthens the strategic partnership between Thales, DGA, NAHEMA and NH Industries, all committed to equipping the armed forces with cutting-edge technologies designed for the most challenging operational environments.”
About Thales : Thales (Euronext Paris: HO) is a global leader in advanced technologies for the Defence, Aerospace, and Cyber & Digital sectors. Its portfolio of innovative products and services addresses several major challenges: sovereignty, security, sustainability and inclusion.
The Group invests more than €4 billion per year in Research & Development in key areas, particularly for critical environments, such as Artificial Intelligence, cybersecurity, quantum and cloud technologies. Thales has more than 83,000 employees in 68 countries. In 2024, the Group generated sales of €20.6 billion.
This contract, secured in collaboration with NHIndustries (NHI) and Safran, underscores a shared commitment to advancing defence innovation in support of the French Direction Générale de l'Armement (DGA) and the Spanish Dirección General de Armements y Material (DGAM).
The TopOwl DD helmet is an evolution of the combat-proven TopOwl legacy, it now enables pilots to operate in all conditions of degraded visibility.
The TopOwl DD headset, developed by Thales, integrates high-definition mission camera video feeds, including Safran’s Eurofl'Eye, with augmented reality and spatial alerts to enhance situational awareness and reduce pilot workload.
The TopOwl offers unmatched capabilities for piloting in low-visibility conditions, ensuring safety and mission success through augmented reality. This is achieved by synthesizing terrain vision with data from mission and flight sensors and cameras as well as light intensifier tubes that will also be improved by as part of this contract. It supports pilots day and night in degraded situations such as dust clouds, fog, snow or extremely dark nights. With the TopOwl DD helmet, NH90 pilots have a better situational awareness and visibility, significantly improving mission safety, especially during very low-altitude or low visibility operations.
Thales brings more than 20 years of expertise in the designing targeting and display systems for helicopters. The TopOwl DD helmet is developed and manufactured at the Thales Campus in Bordeaux in cooperation with BITD stakeholders and refined in partnership with operational forces, ensuring superior vision and safety features. It is tailored to each pilot’s unique physiology, offering a perfect fit and reducing fatigue during extended missions or in challenging environments.
This contract represents a strategic partnership, underscoring the strong collaboration between Thales, the DGA and NAHEMA to provide armed forces with advanced technologies tailored to the complex demands of modern missions.
Florent Chauvancy, Vice President of Flight Avionics at Thales, said "By choosing the TopOwl DD, NAHEMA confirms the leading role of this helmet, recognized by helicopter crews for enhancing operational performance and safety. This contract further strengthens the strategic partnership between Thales, DGA, NAHEMA and NH Industries, all committed to equipping the armed forces with cutting-edge technologies designed for the most challenging operational environments.”
About Thales : Thales (Euronext Paris: HO) is a global leader in advanced technologies for the Defence, Aerospace, and Cyber & Digital sectors. Its portfolio of innovative products and services addresses several major challenges: sovereignty, security, sustainability and inclusion.
The Group invests more than €4 billion per year in Research & Development in key areas, particularly for critical environments, such as Artificial Intelligence, cybersecurity, quantum and cloud technologies. Thales has more than 83,000 employees in 68 countries. In 2024, the Group generated sales of €20.6 billion.
An NH90 “Lobo” search-and-rescue helicopter operated by the Spanish Air Force, one of the three Spanish Armed Forces services using the NH90.
See also |
NH90 in
Airbus Helicopters España NATO Support and Procurement Agency
Thales 
Helicopters Outfit Gear 
